


Stay Close to Me?

by 4vrAFangirl



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Comfort, M/M, my hopes for the beginning of episode 12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 18:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8907634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4vrAFangirl/pseuds/4vrAFangirl
Summary: “Yuri,” Viktor says softly, letting the towel he’d been drying the last strands of his wet hair with fall limp around his shoulders. He scoots forward, slowly closing the gap between the two of them, somehow managing to fight the impulse to touch or hold him yet, despite how badly he desperately wants to. “You’re going to have to explain that to me a bit more. -When you’re ready,” he adds gently.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fandom and pairing are already so fantastic it's been hard for me to think of anything I could write that could be better than the gift that this show and these characters have already been. So much of what I could have hoped for has already been done in the canon I still sometimes think I'm dreaming. But the anxiety that initially hearing that line about ending things after the Final had me panicking until the after credits where Yuri says he is going to skate their love for the world to see. Then I needed to write the discussion that came between those two moments because I needed more Viktuuri fluff while I'm anxiously waiting for the next episode.
> 
> Want a peek behind the scenes of writing these stories? Got a prompt or idea for a fic you'd like to see? I write for all manner of fandoms and ships! Drop me a note on my Tumblr: [4vrafangirl](http://www.4vrafangirl.tumblr.com)

_“After the Final, let’s end this.”_  
  
“Yuri,” Viktor says softly, letting the towel he’d been drying the last strands of his wet hair with fall limp around his shoulders. He scoots forward, slowly closing the gap between the two of them, somehow managing to fight the impulse to touch or hold him yet, despite how badly he desperately wants to. “You’re going to have to explain that to me a bit more. -When you’re ready,” he adds gently.  
  
“You want to go back,” Yuri mumbles into his chest, not yet daring to look up and meet his startlingly bright blue gaze just yet for fear of losing his nerve to say what it is he wants to say.  
  
“Go back to what,” Viktor prompts curiously.  
  
To skating, Yuri thinks, recalling the way he had looked watching Yurio and the rest of their competition skating to their short programs. To Russia. To all of it, he thinks despondently, but doesn’t say.  
  
“You should go back,” Yuri says instead, a bit more firmly, more certain. He should. “I-” he begins, hesitating once more and swallowing hard. If his grip on his phone becomes any tighter he might just break it. “Viktor, I- I want you to go back to skating after the Grand Prix Finale is over. For yourself,” he clarifies quickly with a nod as he finally looks up to widening blue eyes. “You love skating, competing, surprising people," Yuri continues."You miss it. I saw it today when you were watching Yurio’s program. And I don’t want to be the person that keeps you from that.”  
  
Viktor feels something clench in his chest but forces it back down. They have come so far together now, he and Yuri, he will do as he has done from the start: he will wait, and do his best to follow Yuri’s lead.  
  
“I’m still going to give tomorrow’s program everything I have,” Yuri continues face taking on that adorably determined look Viktor’s come to admire so. “But this will be my last competition. I hate losing, but if I don’t win gold tomorrow, I won’t have any shame or regrets. I made it to the final six, and I know I have skated my best.”  
  
“I am so proud of you,” Viktor whispers softly quite before he realizes he’s spoken the words aloud, though his gaze and mouth reflect nothing but honest and immeasurable fondness. Yuri’s gaze snaps back up to his immediately. “I should tell you so more often,” Viktor adds a bit absently. Yuri is too hard on himself, at times often his own worst enemy, but the Yuri from last year’s Grand Prix would never dream of making it this far, would never have allowed himself to be contented in anything less than making the podium. “And I will be even prouder of you tomorrow.”  
  
“So you want to end your skating career,” Viktor nods slowly, “And my being your coach,” he continues, searching his eyes and face for confirmation as Yuri’s eyes dart momentarily to the band around his finger with a slight frown. “Okay.”  
  
“Okay,” Yuri asks, looking up a little surprised.  
  
“Okay,” the silver-haired man confirms with a small smile. “If that’s what you want, then I support you,” he nods. “And you’re right. I do miss it,” he admits. Yuri droops a little. He’d known it, known the moment he saw him standing there staring out over the rink, enthralled, longing. “Maybe it’s selfish, I’ve won so many times and there are much younger skaters fighting for their turn-” he continues, frowning a little as Yuri looks up shaking his head.  
  
“But you love it,” Yuri whispers softly.  
  
“I do," Viktor admits. "I want to keep skating until I can’t anymore."  
  
“You should,” Yuri nods in agreement, much as it pains him to admit it. He’s not entirely sure whether he wants to join Minako in drinking, or eat until he passes out, but he really doesn’t want to think anymore, and this is definitely not the state of mind he should be in on the eve of his bid for gold in the Finale, much less his last competitive skate. He’d thought perhaps having this talk, getting it over with would make things better somehow, give him time to get used to the idea, but in hindsight, it seems it was a terrible idea.  
  
“And,” Viktor adds softly, finally reaching out fingers gently taking Yuri’s chin between them as he once did so many months ago now. “I really want you to be there with me.”  
  
“Huh,” Yuri manages, eyes wide.  
  
“Yuri,” Viktor whispers patiently, shaking his head, doing his best not to look too disappointed that the younger man is so surprised. Yuri is no doubt beating himself up enough already. “I don’t care if you placed fourth today, I watched you skate,” the silver-haired man continues, gently letting his hand drop from the other’s face to cover his ringed hand with his own and squeezes. “If you tell me you want to end this too, I won’t believe you,” he smiles entirely too brightly for the conversation they are having.  
  
“Viktor-” Yuri breathes, wide-eyed. Viktor sighs softly. It’s at least partly his fault, he supposes.  
  
“I’m not good at talking about feelings, Yuri. I can show them well enough when I skate, but putting them into words... I struggle. I know what I said in the airport about hoping you never retire, but I didn’t mean to suggest my being your coach and the two of us being together were mutually exclusive.” Viktor turns the younger man’s hand over, lacing their fingers together. “Stay close to me?”  
  
“I-” Yuri stumbles, stunned. “Yes. Of course, Viktor. For as long as you’ll have me.”  
  
“Forever then,” Viktor nods happily, the last of any tension or anxiety when they first embarked on this conversation was forgotten, sighing contentedly as the younger man beams, rushing forward to close the last of the gap between them and enveloping him in a fierce hug. It’s perfect and not nearly enough all at the same time as Viktor wiggles his arms just enough to reposition them so that he can hold Yuri close as well. “You’re going to win, Yuri,” Viktor whispers softly into jet black hair, breathing him in and memorizing every detail. “But I’d still want to marry you, even if you didn’t.”  
  
“You are eros and agape to me,” Yuri whispers back. The words are soft, but not the least bit accidental or uncertain, and they hit Viktor hard.  
  
“I love you, Yuri Katsuki,” Viktor smiles, pulling back a little to stare into the other man’s face once more.  
  
“Yuri Nikiforov,” Yuri corrects with a shake of his head, eyes shining as he smiles back before pressing forward and sealing his lips against his.


End file.
